Listener Questions
Nearly every episode, Jay and Miles answer listener questions that are submitted on the blog, by email, or on tumblr. Episode 001 *How broadly should we define X-Men? Only characters who have been members of a team called the X-Men, or members of ancillary teams as well? What about supporting characters? *If you were introducing someone to XMen what comic/story arc would you give them? *Yellow? Why in the name of all that looks terrible on cheap paper did their original uniforms have to be so yellow? Episode 002 *Are there early villains that fell by the wayside? Is there a difference between those that did/didn't stick? *How could Unus the Untouchable be alive? Wouldn't he starve to death or something? *I've never been able to make sense of Sauron's backstory. Could you try? Episode 003 *When were the costume designs used in the show for the main team first introduced in the comics? Also, what's your opinion on the costumes? Which ones work the best, and which ones the worst? *Why won't Beast put a shirt on in the 90s cartoon? *What's the deal with Morph? Was he a good character or...what? Episode 004 *Do you think the X-Men work better when they're part of the larger Marvel Universe, or do they work better if you kinda isolate them? I ask, since I've always found it weird that the citizens of the Marvel Universe can fear and hate mutants, but say love Spider-Man, when they have no idea if he could also be a Mutant. *Iceman. Actual player or unacknowledged mascot? *How much of the silver age needs revisiting? How much has to happen before it's time for the Giant-Size era? Episode 005 * Why have some members of the new Giant-Size team stayed popular throughout the years, while others were more or less forgotten? Specifically, why is Wolverine so popular? * Hi Rachel and Miles! I'm relatively new to the X-Men. Started reading around the Second Coming event and also watched the 90s cartoon on Fox. I'm looking forward to you x-plaining all of the crazy stuff that I've missed. My question is: When did the "Powers don't affect family members" thing start? Is that a modern trope, or is that been present from the start? Thanks! Episode 006 *It's been 30 years since DoFP. Why does this storyline keep getting mined?https://twitter.com/search?q=%23xplainthexmen&src=hash *What, in your estimation, is truly the DARKEST X-Men timeline and why? Show your work. Episode 007 * There seem to be 4 X-genres: save the world stories, oppression stories, time travel stories, and space stories. The first three make sense to me as flowing naturally from their premise - even time travel makes sense, because the X-Men have a very specific goal, and these stories show what happens when they don't succeed. But why wacky space adventures? To this day space stories seem to be really popular, even though it seems 100% random for these characters. * If the Starjammers got a new ship that wasn't called the Starjammer, would they still be Starjammers? * Do you suppose the character of Vulcan can be "salvaged"? Episode 008 * Why is Wolverine put on every X-team and Avengers team, even though his main character trait is "grizzled loner"? Episode 009 * Do the X-Books really rely on heroes coming back to life more than other superhero comics? * How long did it take for Magneto to get that Holocaust survivor backstory and not just be generically evil? * Whatever happened to all those weird powers Claremont gave the X-Men and forgot about, like Kurt literally turning invisible in shadow or Storm using her powers to change her clothes Episode 011 *Who would win in a fight between Rachel and Miles? Who would give a better Claremontian explanation of how they fight and what they are doing while fighting? *Everyone knows that Scott's glasses and visor to control his eye beams are made of ruby quartz. How was it discovered that this would work? What Sunglasses Hut sold him his handy laser-blocking Ray-Bans? *I’ve recently decided to start reading X-men comics. I’ve always loved X-men from the 90′s cartoon series and now want to delve into all the lore but I have no idea how comics work. If I want to start from the beginning how can I do that without purchasing a “collectors” edition of early copies, are their reprints that are affordable? Also are they all labeled in chronological order or release date or are they all labeled as part of separate series that I’ve heard about? Any information would be great. *I was just curious what your guys favorite spinoff X team is, like New Mutants, X-Force or Excalibur. *Will you guys be covering or story arc X/Y/Z? *Has the evolution of Kitty's powers as shown in DOFP ever been referenced in other comics? It seems like it should have been, with that while secondary mutation thing later on. *In your reading of things, what are the most important ways that the industry censorship of the Comics Code Authority influenced the X-Men? *What’s your take on Ultimate X-Men? You didn’t mention it during your episode that covered alternate takes on the Golden Age years. Not that it’s Golden Age at all, really, but it does feature the origins/early days of the team. Is it too Millary for you or could you get past the sometimes unnecessarily grim-darkness and enjoy it still? *Is there a good source out there for keeping track of story lines and crossovers through the various X-series? I was reading the Legion Quest story arc last night on my tablet and got a little lost. *Is Mystique's queerness canon? *Someone please explain the Siege Perilous to me. *Who did you guys like better for Cyclops? Jean or Emma? *i am diving back into x-men thanks to you. Could you recommend some Iceman and Nightcrawler Stories? *What are your thoughts on the Jason Aaron run of Wolverine and the X-Men (Or Wolverine and the X-men Vol 1 I guess now)? *Let’s play pretend…Marvel has announced an X-Men limited series to run 8 issues. And they’re letting YOU decide the details. Who’s your creative team (no, you may not pick yourself), your lineup of X-Men, and your villain? *Any idea why Nate Grey ditched his costume for a fishnet shirt and leather pants for a while? Other than to keep me buying a horribly written comic, that is? *Is there a particular line-up of X-men that you guys just love? *Rachel, what is your headcanon as to why Wolverine is on so many Marvel teams? I seem to recall this was mentioned once, but that a lack of time prevented you from going into it. *Thoughts on the new Claremont Nightcrawler series and recent Longshot miniseries? *What are your favorite and least favorite X-Men code names? *If there was an alternate universe where the X-men were talking animals, which animals would best represent some of the best X-men characters? Episode 012 *"The Dark Phoenix Saga" is my favorite comic book story of all time. Lately, though, I've read people on Tumblr call the story problematic because it tells a story of a woman with too much power not being able to control that power, and thus needs to be killed. How problematic is "The Dark Phoenix Saga" in y'all's opinion, and how much does that affect how you react to the story? *Can you xplain why Magneto's powers are broken post AvX? He wasn't on of the Phoenix 5. Episode 013 * Can Cyclops write his name on the moon? * We know that the Jean Grey that appeared from X-Men 101-137 was actually the Phoenix. People still seem to refer to this character as Jean, even though it's not her? Or did I make that up? But Kitty appears in Phoenix Endsong as one of the people who loves Jean even though not counting 101-137 Jean would mean that they'd have barely met. Is there a reason we still seem to count 101-137 as being Jean even with the Phoenix retcon? Episode 014 * I have a question about the openings, some variation of which I was SURE was going to be asked in the all-question-spectacular. Is Miles always the one with the “WHAT?!?” because Rachel actually knows more/has read more X-Men comics? Or is it just a dynamic you decided on for your “characters” on the show? Even if it was just an artistic choice, and not based in fact, I’m curious: who’s read more X-Men? And, just in case the answer to this question is different, who knows more about Marvel’s Merry Mutants? * How did Storm become leader of the X-men over Cyclops and who do you think is the better leader? * Can you catalog all the many patented Danger Room tried-and-tested maneuvers such as the "Fastball" from Colossus and Wolverine? Episode 015 * I’ve wondered since I was a kid reading X-Men back in the 90′s, what was the reason X-Men #137 could be worth $2500? I’m sure it’s actually something anticlimactic, but at the time I thought that it meant that they already knew how good it was. Reprints never seem to include the important details. * Didn’t Lee Forrester hook up with Magneto at some point on his Bermuda Triangle island base? Episode 016 * How come Jean Grey gets a free pass for wiping out an entire solar system under Dark Phoenix's influence, but Cyclops is essentially dead to the majority of his lifelong friends for murdering Professor X under the exact same influence? * Why is Jubilee a vampire? No, seriously -- I heard she's a vampire now. Wait, wait, forget the whole vampire thing...Jubilee's a MOM?!? Episode 017 *Question about Rogue's powers: When she touches someone and gains an ability she didn't have before, say for instance kungfu, when that wears off will she continue to have that kung fu knowledge or would that go away too? I understand if absorbing another mutant's power would go away but if she learns kung fu or how to build car after touching someone and uses that knowledge shortly after, should not she be able to keep that knowledge? *Several of the defining Bronze Age stories have a major moment that involves the death of a prominent female character. Gwen Stacy in SpiderMan, Supergirl in Crisis on Infinite Earths. These events often typified the Woman in Refrigerators trope. Do you think that the death of Jean/Phoenix in 137 is another of these moments or is there something intrinsically different? Episode 018 * What's your favorite crossover storyline? Not the most important one -- your favorite one. * Given Marvel's decision to make a Guardians of the Galaxy movie, do you think the chances of the Starjammers or Brood ever being on screen have improved infinitesimally? I just assumed those two groups of characters and story arcs would be untouchable for movies. But if Rocket Raccoon is on screen, all bets are off. Episode 019 * Do you guys have any handy hints or trusty tips for setting up a podcast? * Can you x-plain why Cyclops is from Alaska and Havok is from Hawaii? Episode 020 * Is there any topic you've tried to use an opening and found that it just doesn't work? * Are there any notable crossovers between X-Men including cosmic folk (Starjammers, Shi'ar, etc.) and the rest of cosmic Marvel? * Wolverine's famous for being the grumpiest lone not actually a wolf there is. But one of my favorite things about him is the adamantium strength BFF broship he has with Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler seems to be the one person out there that Wolverine busts out all the emotions for, from fearful concern to outright huggy joy. What's your take? How important do you feel this relationship is for both characters? Episode 021 * What's the one Silver Age storyline you can constantly go back to without getting bored? * Kurt, have you read X-Men First Class? Because it occurs to me -- that strikes me as the most recent-ish X-Men series that's been most in that spirit. * Would you consider writing an Untold Tales of X-Men featuring the Silver Age team like you did with Spider-Man? What are the types of storylines you'd want to focus on if you did? Episode 023 *Karma of the New Mutants: Groundbreaking lesbian superhero of color, or chronically narratively punished cluster of overlapping stereotypes about refugees, abuse survivors, and queer people? *While the New Mutants don't have as many notable supporting characters as the X-Men, they do have a whole host of interesting recurring characters, both good and bad. Who's your favorite recurring character that's not a member of the team itself? (ex: Lila Cheney, one of the Hellions, Xi'an's siblings, etc.) Episode 024 *Rogue was raised by Mystique and Destiny, neither of whom appear to have the colorful language and thick accent that Rogue does. So where did Rogue get it from? *Is there an in canon (or out off canon) term to describe those middleground mutants? Those who fall somewhere between mutants who can "pass" for homo sapiens, and those who we'd describe as Morlocks? Episode 025 * Can you No-Prize x-plain how it's okay for Wolverine to be on the black-ops X-Force assassination squad who smoke bad guys and become headmaster of a school a very short time later in Wolverine and the X-Men? Why are all the X-Men okay with this? * Is Wolverine's mask specifically designed to fit over his majestic hair without squashing it, or did he just design the mask as a tribute to his hair? Episode 026 * I've decided to read the X-Men from the get-go, and I want to be thorough. But I also want to get the most coherent narrative. In regards to the Summers, you chose to go into depth with the Deadly Genesis retcon. But with Phoenix you specifically chose to examine it with retcons removed. Which way do you suggest to go through the X-Men in order to have the most rewarding experience? * Whom in your opinion is the most 90s X-character that's since been the best redeemed? Discounting Deadpool off the bat, because, well, he needs to be discounted. Episode 028 * What is the best version of Kitty after Claremont? Davis' Excalibur? Whedon's X-Men? * How come Kitty Pryde just wears a variation on the Xavier School uniform these days, instead of a costume of her own? It seems especially weird with her because in her early days on the team, graduating out of that uniform and creating her own identity was a driving force of her character development. It seems weird that now, as a grown woman and a professor herself, she just wears the old yellow and black. Episode 029 * Just how many kids does Mystique have (that we know of)? * What's the deal with Douglock? He was one of my favorites, but I heard he was retconned into being Warlock. That's kind of an awful thing to do! I like that Warlock and Cypher had sort of a son. * So, when Mystique takes on another mutant's form, she also apparently takes on their weapons (Wolverine's claws, Cyclops' optic blasts, etc.) So his kind of begs the question - why not just morph into Thanos, Dark Phoenix or some other overpowered entity? Episode 030 * Hey guys, loving the podcast! I was wondering if you knew what was up with the pretty evident connection between the X-Men's Hellfire Club and the one from the Avengers? (The 60s British spy TV series, not those other guys.) There are too many similarities in plot and trappings (secret society for the rich and powerful, 18th century outfits, female lead brainwashed into aiding the club and simultaneously dressing up in bondage gear, character named Emma) to be coincidence. Do you have any insight into what happened there? * Why do modern Marvel comics change artists so often? I especially noticed it on Aaron and Bachalo's run of Wolverine and The X-Men ''and found it really distracting to the story. Is there a good reason? Episode 031 * So recently I've been digging Rachel Grey because of the no-adjective ''X-Men series. Forget her impossible to comprehend background story, I'm confused by her facial stripes. Sometimes she has them, sometimes she doesn't. Got an X-planation? * Has anyone ever written an Elseworlds or alternate universe story with the characters aging normally? Episode 032 *What's the deal with Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander? In the Demon Bear Saga, both were turned from white to Native American, and this was never addressed again to my knowledge. Has Claremont ever stated the reason for this? It seems like something major, but it just sort of happened and the characters got on with their lives. *Where are the New Mutants now? It's my understanding that the book turned into X-Force but that title is not that anymore. Episode 038 * Which is the greatest non X-Men Arcade story? * Sharxkin has some questions about how the dubious crossover event Axis (or, if you prefer, Sixis) wrapped up * Has Arcade been in video games? Why hasn't he been in more? Episode 039 * What's the deal with Cloak and Dagger? I've recently started reading some old series with them, and I like the team. It seems like they're mutants, but wiki is telling me that they're not. What's up? * My girlfriend loves the X-Men, and I would really love to get her an original page from a more recent X-comic. What's the best way to go about doing that? Are they really expensive? Episode 040 * Willow, what character are you most excited to get your hands on someday that you haven't been able to write yet? * I'm already on board for your run on adjectiveless X-Men, but I have a serious question about it: Will there be fun times and shenanigans? Episode 041 * Started reading the X-Men in March of last year, and am coming to the end of Claremont's run, just about hitting the Inferno story. My question is: Do you think it's important for people to read all of the crossover titles (i.e in Inferno all the Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Avenger titles) in X-Men crossovers? If yes, what if I'm only interested in the X storylines? Will I miss important points? * Hey Rachel and Miles, love the podcast! What would you say the definitive version of Magneto is? Scene chewing silver age Dick Dastardly, the more antagonistic foil to Xavier like in God Loves Man Kills, the New Mutants teacher, the separatist leader of the Acolytes, every X-fans source of alcoholism Xorn, or some other iteration? Episode 106 * What would you say the definitive version of Magneto is? Scene chewing silver age Dick Dastardly, the more antagonistic foil to Xavier like in God Loves Man Kills, the New Mutants teacher, the separatist leader of the Acolytes, every X-fans source of alcoholism Xorn, or some other iteration?